


Made of Leather

by lasairfhiona



Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 15:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Leo is made of leather. His face has a map of the world on it, Leo comes back."</p><p>This is the first of two short stories that have haunted me since I first saw "Bartlet for America" and "H-Con 172"<br/>Companion to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/516720">Taking the Bullet</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Made of Leather

Jed Bartlett stood on the portico outside his office. He should go upstairs. Abbey was waiting for him and he'd been gone longer than the 'little while' he promised. He'd intended to simply deliver Leo's Christmas present, harass his friend one more time about Jordan and then return to Abbey. The family was due in the morning and they still had their preparations for Christmas to finish. But his and Leo's banter about the hearing and Leo's response to the gift had him out on the portico smoking a cigarette and thinking.

The longer he stood there the more he wanted to go back and talk to Leo. He wanted to throw off the mantles of President and Chief of Staff and for the first time in a long time just be Jed and Leo. Two old friends. It wasn't his Chief of Staff that he was worried about. He'd told Josh that afternoon "Leo is made of leather. His face has a map of the world on it, Leo comes back." Jed knew part of Leo would bounce back. Although he wasn't sure Josh believed him anymore than he believed it when he'd said it. They both knew Leo McGarry. They both knew the public and private sides of the man they loved. And just like Josh, it wasn't the public side of Leo he was worried about -- it was his friend, it was Leo, the man, he was worried about.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Jed looked down at his wife. Abbey had come in search of him. He, however, saw no reproach in her expression for being late or for smoking. 

"Come on up," she urged quietly, giving his arm a squeeze.

Jed glanced one more time at Leo's window. From the dim light burning, he knew Leo was still there. Taking Abbey's hand, he allowed her to lead him back to the Residence. He hoped with each stride that Leo would go home soon, but he knew that wouldn't be the case. At least the date tomorrow with Jordan would get him out…

***

Abbey had managed to get him out of his suit and into a comfortable pair of jeans and his favourite sweatshirt. He'd even tried to concentrate on the gifts they still had to wrap for Annie, having gotten Liz, Ellie, and Zoey's finished when they'd wrapped the Staff's earlier in the week. He normally loved the holidays. Loved giving gifts to friends and family. This year was different though. This year they had the hearings and his mind kept drifting back to Leo.

"Why don't you call him?" Abbey suggested. Taking the roll of tape he was holding, but not using, out of his hand. It was obvious Jed's thoughts were elsewhere. But at least this time she knew where and why he was distracted and it wasn't another thing he couldn't share with her because of his job.

"No. He wouldn't appreciate it right now," Jed replied absently. Pulling another box closer and a scrap of shiny red and gold paper, he tried to fit it around the box.

"Did he like your gift?" she asked changing the subject slightly as she helped him turn the box so the wrapping paper would fit.

Jed smiled, his expression softening, "Yeah. He was… touched…" he tried to put into words Leo's reaction. He knew that the gift was one of meaning for both of them and said more than words ever could.

"How did he seem when he got back?" she asked, finally getting to the one thing she'd wanted to know. Although there were times she hated Leo for getting them into this political nightmare and turning her husband into a man she only occasionally recognized, he was still a friend. She still worried about him.

"Confused. Relieved. And I don't know…" he answered, not knowing how to explain Leo's mood.

"You're worried about what will happens when they reconvene," she commented, stating the obvious.

Jed nodded. Leo didn't know, but Abbey also knew when happened in St Louis. There was no way she could have missed Leo's condition as she treated him. Like him and Josh, she'd been worried about their friend as well. Abbey had been in politics long enough to know what it meant for Leo if the news of a relapse got out, so she'd kept the secret.

"Come on," she said standing and pulling him away from the gift he was trying and failing to wrap. "Let's go curl up in bed. You aren't going to get anything wrapped tonight." He was too distracted no matter how much he tried. Tonight she could be strong for him – just like the old days when he needed her unconditionally. Tomorrow, or the next day, he could go back to being the 'jackass' she was currently calling him.

\---

Jed lay in Abbey's embrace -- his head on her chest and her heart beating a calming rhythm under his ear. She'd been right when she pulled him away from his weak attempts to wrap Annie's gifts. His thoughts kept going back to Leo and what would happen after the New Year. Contingency plans should be made. They should have some ideas of what they would do in a worse case scenario. But Jed couldn't think of it now. Didn't want to think about what he would do should the unthinkable happen and he was forced to replace Leo

Leo may be made of leather on the outside but underneath that tough exterior was an inside that could easily be broken. That was what he worried about. The private side of Leo. The side no one saw but his closest friends. That was the side of Leo that went to war an idealistic young officer hell bent on saving the world as he'd been taught by his commanding officers and came home cynical and suffering from nightmares he wouldn't talk about. It was the part of Leo that lost himself, first in a bottle and then pills to avoid the pain in his life. It was the part of Leo that didn't let anyone know how much Jenny's leaving him hurt. It was also the side that could very easily pick up a glass again and he didn't want to see that happen to Leo.

He didn't believe Leo was weak. Far from it, in fact. Leo was the strongest person he knew. He had an inner -strength and it was that strength that let him finally admit when he needed help and let the people who loved him help. But could that strength hold him in the face of what was to come? He had Abbey, whether or not she was talking to him, he had her and she would be there for him. Leo didn't have anyone anymore unless He let Jordan Kendall in. The question is, would he? Or would Leo let him be the friend he wanted to be or would his old friend keep the mantles of their jobs in place? Those were the million dollar questions.


End file.
